(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image data merging system, and particularly to an image data merging system which merges other information and original information to be recorded as image data in various types of recording mediums. In the present invention, the image data is defined as information which can be shown on a sheet or displayed on a screen so as to be recognized by the human eye and includes position information regarding where the image data is located on the sheet or the screen. Thus, information of mere characters and symbols is not included in the image data. Information which satisfies the above conditions and exists in another medium, such as a memory, a file or a network, may be included in the image data. Information to which a data compression process is applied to reduce storage space and transmission time and information which is ciphered to keep the information secret may be included in the image data.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The image data can be provided to users in the forms of prints made by a printer of a computer system, text images transmitted by facsimile machines, copied images obtained by copying information recorded on sheets by copy machines, image data (electronic files) displayed on a screen of a display unit, other products made by equipment having the above functions combined with each other and files intermediately stored.
The image data recorded in the sheets and files is copied and distributed to supply many users. A large number of paper publications on which the image data is printed and electronic publication, such as floppy disks and CD-ROMs, in which the image data is recorded, are often distributed.
In the above example, to inhibit unfair acts such as pirating of the distributed information, various measures have been taken. For example, in the first example, parts of documents, such as covers or margins of respective pages, are provided with names of destinations or numbers corresponding to destinations in order to know the destinations to which the documents should be distributed even if the documents (secret documents) are stolen from companies or copied.
In the second example, a merge printing function of a word processor is used. According to the merge printing function, in a case such as an invitation card, an address of a destination, a name of a company, a name of a department, a post office box and a persons name can be printed at predetermined positions on a document so as to be merged with original information. Specified information other than the information of the destination may be printed so as to be merged with the original information. For example, in a case such as text of a direct mail, specified names are located so as to be scattered on the direct mail.
In the third example, in a case where an owner of copyright of publication using an electronic medium permits a publishing company to use image data included in the publication, identification information is merged as an electronic watermark information with the image data. As a result, the identification information corresponding to the permitted publishing company can be detected from the image data of the publication or a copy thereof (NIKKEI ELECTRONICS, Feb. 24, 1997. (NO.683), p. 99-115).
However, in the above first example, since identification information, such as the names and numbers, are provided (printed) on the a cover of the publication or in the margins of the respective pages, the identification information added to the publication can be easily separated from original information which should be published. Thus, only the original information which should be published can be copied with malicious intent.
In the above second example using the merge printing function, original text data must be formed so that positions at which the information selected from the destination list should be merged are specified using special symbols. Thus, it is difficult to change the form of the original information to be published to a form by which the merge printing can be performed. In addition, since the identification information is merged at predetermined positions in the same manner as in the first example, only the original information can be copied by concealing the identification information.
In the third example, although the identification information can be merged with the original image data so as to be distinguished from the original image data, the quality of the original image data deteriorates. Thus, usually, the identification information is merged with the image data so that the identification information is not recognized by human eyesight in the image data displayed on a screen. The identification information can be recognized, by an electronic device, in a state where the identification information and the original image data are electronically recorded. The identification information can not be recognized from a print on which the original image data is formed.
As has been described above, the conventional system has the disadvantages in which the merged information can be easily separated from the original image information, the identification information can not be merged with the original image information if the format of the original image information is changed and the identification information can not be detected from prints on which the original image information is formed.
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and useful image merging system in which the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art are eliminated.
A specific object of the present invention is to provide an image data merging system by which identification information can be merged with original information with each of authorized copies so as to be recognized as image information without deterioration of the equality of the original information formed on a paper or displayed on a screen.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an image data merging system by which identification information can be merged with original information as image information so as to be inseparable from the original information and concealed.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by an image data merging system comprising: first input means for inputting original information and temporarily storing the input original information as image information; second input means for inputting identification information and temporarily storing the input identification information as image information; and image merging means for merging the original information temporarily stored in the first input means and the identification information temporarily stored in the second input means with each other in accordance with a predetermined rule.
According to the present invention, a user can recognize the original information along with the identification information merged as image information with the original information.
The identification information can be merged with original information with each of authorized copies (reproductions) so as to be recognized as image information without deterioration of the quality of the original information formed on a paper or displayed on a screen. In addition, the identification information can be merged with original information as image information so as to be inseparable from the original information and concealed.
As a result, the original information can be prevented from being unfairly reproduced (copied).